Bringing them home
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: The final story in my continuing series. Mal and Zoe are left on a planet with one of their old foes. River and Jayne will do anything to bring them home.
1. Chapter 1

River was humming softly while fixing some of Serenity's important papers. Since she wasn't going on the jobs, she decided to help Mal out with the paperwork type tasks.

Belle was humming the same thing that River was while she was drawing. She was next to River scribbling away.

She was two years old now, Ricky was four, and their youngest edition, Jason Tam, was close to a year old.

They heard the thud of boots coming towards the kitchen. Belle looked up to see Mal entering with a smile.

"DADDY!"

She slid off of the chair and ran to him.

"There's my girl!"

He picked her up and tossed her in the air. She giggled as he caught her and gave her a bunch of kisses on the cheek.

"How are you today?" he asked.

"Great! How are you?"

"Great too," he smiled at his genius daughter and motioned towards his cheek. "Forgettin' something?"

Belle giggled again and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"You're forgetting Mommy," Belle commented.

"That I am."

He put Belle down and walked over to River. She smiled at him before they kissed.

"How'd it go?" River asked.

"Good. No one is in Simon's infirmary."

"Daddy! Mommy taught me a new dance step!"

"Did she? Well let's see it."

Belle twirled around a little unevenly, but it was still impressive.

"That's somethin' else. Good job!"

She smiled proudly and then hopped up on the chair to hold up her drawing. It was of River and surprisingly good.

"It's Mommy."

"It sure is," Mal kissed River on the cheek before crouching down in front of Belle.

"I got you somethin' today," he searched his pocket for it.

"You did?" Belle inquired.

"I did. Here it is."

He pulled a necklace out of his pocket. It looked just like River's Serenity necklace, only with a shorter chain.

"It's like Mommy's!" Belle exclaimed.

"I know how much you've been admirin' it. So I got you one of your very own."

Belle flew into his arms with her tiny arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Daddy! I love you!"

"I love you too, princess. Let's see how it looks on you…"

River watched them with a grin as he put the necklace on her. Belle's grin mirrored Mal's exactly. She looked more and more like him everyday.

"What do you think, Mommy?" Belle asked.

"You look beautiful."

Belle climbed into her lap and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too, Mommy."

"I love you back."

"I promised your cousins that I'd stop by when I got back. Do you wanna come?" Mal asked.

"Will Mommy come too?"

"I have work to do-"

"Please?" Mal asked with his best puppy dog eyes.

"_Please_?" Belle asked with a similar puppy dog look.

"Okay…" she sighed.

Belle cheered and reached out for Mal.

"Daddy, will you carry me?"

"Sure. Come on darlin' and little darlin'."

He picked Belle up and took River's hand.

They went down to the couch outside of the infirmary where the Tams were.

Ricky was playing with different parts while Kaylee supervised and Simon sat with baby Jason on his lap.

"Hey there Cap'in!" Kaylee grinned. Ricky looked up with a smile and darted to him. He hugged his legs.

"Easy there little man! I'm old!" Mal laughed.

"You aren't old, Daddy. You're refined."

Mal laughed. Belle was definitely her mother's daughter. "Thanks, princess."

"I made a clock! Come look!" Ricky pulled Mal by the hand to the table and he pulled River with them.

He held up the ugly homemade clock with pride. It worked perfectly.

"He did it all by his-own-self!" Kaylee beamed.

"He did," Simon nodded.

"Would you look at that? We've got ourselves a junior mechanic in the makin'!" Mal said happily. Ricky's smile widened.

Kaylee moved down on the couch so Mal and River could sit down. Belle sat half on Mal's lap and half on River's.

"Auntie Kaylee, look at what my daddy got me!" she clutched the chain. Kaylee looked at it.

"Ain't that the same one that River's got?"

Mal nodded.

"It's beautiful, Cap'in. And you look shiny, Belle."

Belle smiled.

Little Jason started babbling and squirming around in Simon's lap. "I think he wants to see his Uncle Mal," Simon sighed.

He passed Jason to Kaylee who passed him to Mal. Mal sat him down on his lap beside Belle.

"How's my youngest nephew doin'?"

Jason gurgled. Belle laughed as he blew a bubble. Ricky leapt up onto Kaylee's lap so he could be a part of the action.

"I'm feelin' a group hug comin' on…" Mal said mischievously before wrapping his arms around all three kids. They all laughed as he kissed each one on the top of the head. Belle attacked him with kisses while Ricky hugged him. Jason just laughed as he blew another bubble before he reached out for Simon again.

"I think Jason wants to see his daddy," Mal sighed as he handed him to Ricky. Ricky walked the little Simon look-a-like to his father before getting back onto Kaylee's lap.

"Uncle Mal, Belle and I have been talking…" Ricky began.

"Oh really? What about?"

"We want a puppy," Belle explained.

"I knew it. I knew that we shouldn't of smuggled those beagles last month. I even said, '_No, it'll give the kids ideas'_ but no!"

"Please? Please? Please?" they chanted in unison.

"No!"

"We'll take good care of it," Ricky promised.

"A space ship ain't a place for a puppy." Mal paused and looked at his daughter. She looked at him innocently. "Was this _your_ idea or Ricky's?"

"Well…" she stopped with a sweet smile. "Will I be in trouble if it was my idea?"

"Will you lie to your father if I say you will?"

"Lie as in not telling the truth or as in stretching it just a _little_ bit?"

He laughed. Her mischievous streak came from him. There was no doubt about it.

"It was her idea," Ricky pointed a finger at her.

Mal looked over at River. "This is your fault."

"How is it my fault?" she asked.

"Seems I recall a certain shipment of creepy spiders…" he started.

"This is different!" she argued.

"How? You got attached to her and we kept her as a pet. This is the same idea, only with beagles!"

"Auntie River kept a spider as a pet?" Ricky asked.

"Yes. Her name was Daisy. She was a big brown curly haired tarantula," Mal nodded.

"She was horrifying," Simon shivered at the memory.

"She saved Mal's life," River snapped.

"Daddy…" Belle looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "Please?"

He had to look away because he felt himself folding.

"Why does she have to have your charm? Why?" he asked River. She laughed while he sighed. "No. Puppies are a lot of work and they grow up to be big dogs. We don't have the funds to support another life on this boat right now."

"Speaking of life, no one showed up in my infirmary close to death. Is everyone okay?" Simon asked.

"Yeah…" he stopped and looked around curiously. "Where's Jayne at? And Zoe?" He turned to River. "Sweetheart, do you know?"

"They're aboard, but I can't tell what they're thinking."

"I conjure we'll see them at dinner," Mal sighed.

"Will you play with us until then?" Ricky asked.

"_Please_ Daddy?" Belle said sweetly.

"Okay, I'll play."

They cheered and dragged him off of the couch and towards Ricky's room where all of the toys were. River smiled when she all three of them laughing.

"I'll go put Jason down for his nap. Come with Mommy," Kaylee picked Jason up and they vanished down the hall.

"So," Simon started. He was about to continue, but Belle's voice cut through his.

"SAVE ME!"

They heard something that had to be Mal growling like a dragon followed by Ricky.

"I'M COMING TO RESCUE YOU!"

"YOU'LL NEVER GET HER!" Mal roared.

Mal emerged from Ricky's room with Belle slung over his shoulder. He started running down the hall with Ricky in pursuit. They circled the coffee table and then went back into Ricky's room. River laughed while Simon shook his head with a smile.

"No wonder my kids adore him," he sighed.

"He's a big kid himself sometimes," River chuckled.

They came flying out again only this time he had both kids in his arms. They were kicking and laughing. He set them down and they chased him into Belle's room, which used to be River's room way back when.

"Apparently…" Simon laughed.

An hour later was dinner time. Mal was beat from running around with the kids so he sat down with a huff. Belle hopped up onto his lap.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, princess. Let's help Mommy and Auntie Kaylee with dinner."

He was shoved out of the kitchen, but they let Belle help by watching Jason. Mal, Simon, and Ricky were left to set the table. Jayne came in and sat down at the table. Five minutes later, Zoe showed up.

"Auntie Zoe!" Belle cried as she ran to her and hugged her leg. The prospect of godmother was a bit hard for her, so she just called her "Auntie" instead. Mal figured just as well. Zoe was practically his sister anyway.

"Hello Belle. How was your day?" she asked.

"Great. I learned a new dance step from my mommy and I drew pictures and my daddy played with me and Ricky and oh! Lookie! Lookie! Daddy got me this! It's like my mommy's."

She showed her necklace off proudly.

"That's real pretty. Let's go sit down for dinner."

Zoe took her hand and they went over to the dinner table. Belle looked at Jayne curiously. He smiled at her.

"Heya."

"Hi…" Belle said back timidly. She turned to River. "Why is he being nice?" she whispered.

"He's in a good mood."

"Oh."

Belle nodded and sat in her usual spot on River's lap. Other than Jason getting a hold of one of Ricky's tomato slices and flinging it at Jayne, dinner went pretty well.

"What's that one?" Belle asked as she pointed at a cluster of stars outside of Serenity's windshield on the bridge. It was their nightly ritual to stargaze.

"Xanthus. It's a horse. See that right there. It makes his mane and it goes around making his head."

"I want to ride a horse."

Mal laughed. "You're too young to ride alone, but I could ride with you. We can do that sometime."

"Will you buy me a horse?"

"No."

"Well it isn't a puppy."

He laughed again. "True."

"What's that one?" she asked as she pointed to a different one.

"Iris. See how those three stars twinkle in different colors?"

"Yes."

"Those stars above them make a woman, Iris, and you can always find her by looking for the three colorful stars."

"Really?"

"Really. Now it's bedtime."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Belle, it's bedtime. Let's go."

"No. There are more stars!"

"There will always be more stars. We'd be up here forever."

"I know. I want to be up here forever with you."

She melted his heart, but he couldn't give in.

"Do you want your bedtime story?"

"Yes."

"Do you want your bedtime song?"

"Yes."

"You won't get them if you don't go to bed right now."

She huffed. "Okay. I'll go to bed."

Mal smiled and picked her up. If only River was that easy to beat in an argument…

"I know what I did wrong," Belle said as they walked to her room.

"What?" he asked.

"I should have called you 'baby' like Mommy does."

Mal laughed again to the point of tears welling up in his blue eyes.

"Goodnight, princess."

Mal gave her a kiss on the forehead before exiting her room and walking with River to their bunk for some alone time…


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you think?" Mal asked River.

She thought for a moment. "It's risky."

"I'm with Crazy on this one," Jayne agreed.

"I think that it's worth it," Zoe shrugged.

Jayne pondered what she said…as much as Jayne _could_ ponder. "Okay. I'm sold."

Mal looked at him oddly, but didn't want to push it. He was on his side and that's all that mattered.

"How risky is risky?" Zoe asked.

"Mathematically speaking, there is an eight-seven percent chance of a betrayal, a sixty percent chance that that betrayal will result in violence, a seventy percent chance that the violence will result in at least one of you getting injured, a thirty percent chance that the injury will be critical, and a ten percent chance that it will result in fatality for one of the crew."

Jayne stared at her blankly. Zoe tried to mentally process the numbers and Mal actually understood most of what she said.

"Darlin', could you put that into terms they get?"

"There's a good chance that this guy is going to betray you and one or more of you will end up hurt, maybe critically, and maybe even dead."

"Ain't that all of our jobs?" Jayne asked.

"Yes, but this percentage is higher than usual. He doesn't sit right with me…" River explained.

"Why not?" Zoe asked.

"I have a bad feeling. His business record with his contacts is rather…atrocious…to put it mildly."

"Yeah, but his money is rather a lot. Don't ya think?" Jayne asked.

It was amazing how quickly his opinion had changed.

"We need the money. I agree with Jayne," Zoe nodded. Jayne grinned.

"I agree with all of you. It's risky, the man is a sadistic hundan, but we need the money. We have three little mouths to feed and our funds are dwindlin' awful quick…" Mal sighed. He didn't want this job, but they had to do it.

"Aren't there other jobs?" River asked hopefully.

"Not right now. This is it. We need the money. We _have_ to do it," he replied sadly.

She looked at her husband with a sigh. He was right. There was no point in arguing. He'd just go anyway. When it came to jobs, he always won the argument. She decided to help and come up with the best possible plan.

"Fine. Let's discuss the plan."

"Our meet is with him on Fu-Xing. We're meeting in the local bar, _The Can,_ to deliver the goods we stole back on Persephone. We negotiate a price, we're thinkin' no lower than forty a box, and we get out of there."

"Why do we need a plan? It's a standard meet 'n greet, ain't it?" Jayne asked.

"If your prices are too high, he won't accept them. He might not even want to pay you. He might try to take the cargo with exchanging bullets instead of currency," River replied.

"So we shoot back like always and get the hell outta there! Why are ya makin' it so gorram complicated?"

"Because I want you all to come back alive!" she snapped.

"What makes this different?"

"Jun Xiachang is notorious for killing his contacts. It's what he does. Some of the things I've heard make Niska seem like a missionary," River shot back.

"We can handle ourselves!" Jayne growled.

"Knock it off!" Mal interrupted.

They both fell silent.

"It isn't a bad idea to have some sort of plan in place if somethin' goes pear-shaped. Nothin' fancy, just a strategy. But this is just like every other job, so stop worryin' that pretty genius head of yours, sweetheart. Okay?"

Jayne grumbled something nasty in Chinese while River glared at him.

"We set down on Deimos tonight to refuel and land on Fu-Xing tomorrow. If you need anything planet-side, I suggest you get ready. We'll be there in…" Mal looked over at his pilot.

"An hour."

"Thank you. We'll be there in an hour."

Zoe nodded and got ready to go with Jayne in tow.

"Wanna hit the bars?" he asked.

"One drink."

"Alright…" he laughed as they vanished towards the cargo bay.

River got up to go pilot the ship, but Mal caught her hand.

"What's go you so shook up, darlin'?" he said soothingly.

"I don't know. There's something about this that doesn't feel right."

He pulled her into a hug to try to ease her nerves. She buried her face in his chest.

"I'm scared…" she said quietly.

"No need to be. We'll be fine. _I'll_ be fine. This ain't our first rodeo with backstabbin' grimy business men. I have the scars to prove it."

She laughed. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm gonna go find Belle. Wanna come?"

"I have a ship to pilot, _Captain_…" she smirked.

"Well the _captain_ says that you can take some time off and come spend time with your daughter and charmingly handsome husband."

"Okay, if you can find my charmingly handsome husband."

"He's right here."

"Where?"

"You're talkin' to him."

"I think that there _has_ to be a mistake."

"Ha-ha. Funny. If you weren't so adorable I'd make you pay for that one."

"Then I'm _not_ adorable…"

He smiled. "You don't know what the payment is."

"I have a pretty good idea. Reader…" she reminded him as she lightly tapped her temple with her finger.

He grinned and kissed her on the forehead. "Now let's go find that gorgeous daughter of ours."

"Okay, handsome."

He smirked and they went towards the passenger dorms, which was the only place the kids were allowed to play without supervision.

She wasn't outside the infirmary, she wasn't in the infirmary, Simon hadn't seen her, she wasn't in Ricky's room, Ricky hadn't seen her, so they checked her room. It was empty. Mal was starting to get worried. River smiled.

"Belle, your daddy is worried. Come out from there."

Belle's head popped out from under her bed. "Sh! I'm playing with the trolls!"

"Trolls?" Mal asked.

"They're little creatures from Earth-that-was mythology…" River laughed. "The ones under her bed have big noses and huge ears. Miffy?"

"Miffy!" Belle giggled.

"Why is he named Miffy?"

"He's named after Daddy."

River started laughing. "He's the ugliest one."

"What?" Mal exclaimed. River laughed harder.

"He's the nicest and smartest one!" Belle defended. Mal smiled proudly.

"I'll tell Miffy I'll be back. I want to play with you instead."

Belle disappeared under the bed and emerged a few minutes later. She took Mal's hand and pulled him towards her very few toys. River played for a little while, but had to go land the ship.

There were very few stars out, so their stargazing was cut short. River read her a story and Mal sang her goodnight song. They tucked her in and went towards their bunk.

"So," River began with a mischievous smile. "I remember something about making me pay earlier…"

"I recall that conversation…" he kissed her and then found a ticklish spot on the nape of her neck with his mouth. She laughed and then they descended into their bunk for the night.

The next morning they found Jayne on the couch outside of the infirmary. Ricky and Belle had just woken up and were staring at him. He was out cold.

"Mommy, what's wrong with Mr. Jayne?" Ricky asked Kaylee.

"He's just sleepin', sweetie. Don't think on that too much. Let's go get some breakfast. Belle, are you comin' too?"

Belle looked at River and Mal. "Go on, little darlin'. We'll be up soon…" Mal nodded. She took Kaylee's other hand and they went up the steps.

River poked Jayne. "Jayne…Jayne…JAYNE…"

"That ain't gonna do anything," Zoe called from the steps with a cup of coffee. She set it down on the table. "He went a little crazy last night."

"Crazy?" Mal asked.

"Oh no…" River sighed.

"What?" Mal asked.

"Zoe, why didn't you keep him from going overboard?"

"What?" he asked again.

"I tried. He didn't listen."

"What?" he repeated.

"Well great! Now he can't go on the mission!"

"WHAT IS GOIN' ON?" Mal exploded. Zoe and River looked at him calmly.

"He's got a hangover, a bad one…" River explained.

"Wonderful! I lose my intimidating mercenary on the day of the drop!" he growled.

"He might be up by then, Sir."

"We can hope…" River sighed.

The day continued and Jayne hadn't moved an inch. He had slept most of the day and when he did wake up, he threw up everywhere. Mal was more than angry at him for getting so wasted the night before a mission. Zoe was fine, but she never got drunk according to her. She explained that instead of their usual whiskey, they went with sake. Apparently sake and Jayne did _not_ mix.

"I can come instead," River suggested.

"No. I need you here keepin' the ship runnin' just in case things do go pear-shaped. Two people can handle this job. Besides, one less person makes the mule run faster…" Mal said calmly. River still didn't feel comfortable with the situation.

"Remember what we talked about this morning. Don't forget the plan."

"I won't. Relax. We'll be back before dinner."

"You know that I don't relax when it comes to this."

He gave her a kiss goodbye. "Tell Belle I love her and I'll see her soon."

"I will. Be-"

"Careful. I will. I love you."

"I love you more."

He smiled. "That ain't mathematically possible, darlin'."

He went into the cargo bay where Zoe had finished loading the mule.

"Ready to go, Sir?"

"Yes. Let's get this over with."

They went into the busy little city. Fu-Xing was one of the larger rim planets. It didn't have big advanced cities like Persephone, but it had its more populated areas. This one was of the metropolises.

They pulled up to the bar so beautifully called _The Can_. It was an ugly metal joint that was barely standing. After making sure the mule was secure along with their goods, they entered the place. Jun Xiachang was an easy man to find. At about four-hundred pounds, six feet eleven inches tall, not to mention his ridiculous hairstyle, he stood out in a crowd. He sat comfortably in the back booth smoking a pipe.

"Jun," Mal said warmly as he sat across from the beast.

"Reynolds," he hissed with his pointy yellowed teeth twisted up into some sort of horrific smile. "I take it you've got my cargo."

"I take it you've got my money."

"Twenty a box."

"Forty."

"Twenty."

"Forty is as low as we'll go."

Jun and Mal locked eyes. It was a stare down for the ages. Jun's fierce black eyes reflected his personality. They weren't budging…or blinking. Mal wasn't about to settle for less.

********

River sat in the cockpit. She tried to read a book to calm her nerves, but it didn't help. She sat there nervously. Something was about to go wrong. She just knew it. There was a churning in her gut. It twisted into an impressive knot.

As she looked out at the city life, she saw a ship entering orbit. Terror struck her. She fought the urge to scream. Instead she focused on reaching desperately for the comm. She squeezed the button.

"Mal? Mal? Are you there? Get out! GET OUT NOW!"

The comm. in the mule crackled to life, but no one was around to hear it. Mal was busy inside discussing the price for their cargo and was blissfully unaware of the approaching situation.

"DAMNIT MAL! ARE YOU THERE? GET OUT! WE'VE GOT REAVERS!"


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't much like your attitude," Mal spat.

"I don't much like your tone," Jun shot back.

"We ain't goin' any lower. Thirty-five or we walk!"

"I thought you might say that…"

Jun stood up with thunderous force and pulled his pistol out. He knocked the table over as he did so, flinging Zoe and Mal out of their seats. They pulled their guns out just as a blood curdling scream filled the air.

"REAVERS!" someone shouted as they ran into the bar.

"_Gouniangyangde_! ZOE LET'S GO!"

Zoe got up along with Mal. They ran out of the bar to watch the terrifying sight unfold before them.

A large Reaver ship was hovering over the city and their lines shot down from above. Reaver after Reaver landed on the ground and went for the nearest person to them. Mal and Zoe saw a man get his face chewed off right before their very eyes.

They climbed into the mule and started to move out of town.

"MAL! MAL!" River's voice shouted through the comm.

"River, we've got Reavers!" he said into it.

"Wo de ma, there you are! I've been trying to reach you for ten minutes!"

"Warm the ship up. We're on our-"

A large Reaver grabbed onto the back of the mule. Mal turned around and shot it in the head. It let go.

"Zoe, take the controls."

"Are you still there?" River asked.

"Yes," Zoe answered while Mal started to toss cargo out to move faster. He watched as a woman was being eaten alive. Her two children stood nearby sobbing. She managed to tell them to run. Mal's heart broke. Being a father really made him…human again.

"Zo, slow down!"

"SIR?" she roared.

"We're takin' on some passengers!"

"WHAT?"  
"JUST DO IT!"

She reluctantly slowed down.

"Hey! Over here!" Mal shouted to the kids. They looked at him, frozen in fear. "GET OVER HERE NOW!"

They listened and ran over to them. He picked the smaller one up first and the older one up after that.

Since they slowed down, they lost valuable time. A pack of the Alliance-made nightmares flocked towards them. They looked like a tasty banquet.

"GET IN THE FRONT! ZOE, FASTER!"

The kids obeyed and hunkered down in the front seat while Mal started shooting at the hungry bastards. He took out a few before having to reload. They got closer, running at their top speed. He took out a few more, but one of them got a in a bite on his hand. He punched it in the face before ramming his gun down its throat and pulling the trigger.

"FASTER!"

"I'M GOIN' AS FAST AS I CAN!" Zoe shouted back.

"What's going on?" River asked nervously. Zoe didn't have time to answer and neither did Mal. Zoe was focusing on driving while Mal was focused on the Reavers attacking the mule.

They started beating it with their Reaver weapons. An axe was lodged into the hull. It nicked something that caused some hot steam to fly up in Mal's face. He backed away before any serious damage was caused. However, that gave a Reaver enough time to climb into the back seat. Mal reached out and grabbed the axe. He hacked into the thing and kicked it off.

"GET AWAY FROM MY GORRAM MULE!" he bellowed.

They retaliated with force. A few more Reaver weapons were unleashed onto the back thrusters. It stalled out with a few sparks and a loud _-Bang- _that made everyone in the mule jump. After loosing one, they were going at a snail's pace and he was running out of bullets.

"IF ONLY JAYNE WAS HERE!" he hissed angrily as he reloaded while kicking a Reaver in its ugly face.

He ran out of bullets in his gun, but remembered Jayne's secret stash. He balanced tenuously on the back of the mule to reach into the back hatch. He had clips and at least three or more guns in there. He also thought that he saw a few grenades.

With one thruster, they were practically done for. They were barely moving. It was better than being on foot. If those gorram beasts kept attacking them and took out the other one, they'd really be done for.

********

"Everyone to the bridge, NOW!" River roared through the comm.

Kaylee, Simon, Jason, and Jayne arrived on the bridge shortly after that. Jayne was still pretty roughed up, but he was better.

"Kaylee, start warming up the engine. I need FULL burn. Simon, be ready for injuries. Jayne, get ready to start shooting."

"What's goin' on?" Kaylee asked.

"Reavers," River said quietly. Kaylee let out a gasp and ran to the engine room. Simon and Jason took off for the infirmary.

"Mal and Zoe are out there?" Jayne asked quietly.

"They haven't responded in almost ten minutes. They said they were on their way. It's taking too long. Something is wrong."

Jayne swallowed hard and started to go towards the cargo bay. River clutched her necklace with one hand and took a steadying breath.

"Mal," she said into the comm. She just wanted to hear his voice…

********

Zoe heard the comm. unit. She picked it up. "Not now!"

She turned around briefly to see the situation. Mal was shaking them off of his legs and shooting like crazy. She tried to get some more juice out of the thruster they had left. She couldn't push it too far. If it burned out…

"How are we looking?" Mal asked as he took down another Reaver.

"Not good, Sir!"

"When will we get to Serenity?"

"At this rate, it'll be awhile!"

Mal looked around. The city was too narrow to pull off a barn-swallow like they had done in the past. There were a lot of Reavers. Two ships full, to be exact. If those ships got to the docks and to Serenity, to his family…no. They wouldn't. He wouldn't let them.

"Zoe, are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Mal asked.

"We aren't gonna get there soon enough."

"They have to go without us."

Zoe swallowed hard at the thought of staying behind with Reavers. They'd be dead, no doubt about it. But that ship had three children and four good people, their family, on it.

"I agree, Sir!"

"Can we switch for a bit?" Mal asked calmly. How he kept a level head in times like these, she didn't know.

"On three…" she got her gun ready. She looked over at the two young children. They were terrified. She didn't blame them. At least Mal had the heart to save them. A few years back, he wouldn't have thought twice about letting them die. It just proved how much River and Belle had changed him.

"Three…two…one!"

They switched placed seamlessly. Mal grabbed the comm.

"Darlin'," he said as evenly as he could. He didn't know how much she could read.

"Mal! Thank God…" she exclaimed.

"Listen to me. There are two Reaver ships. The hundans are everywhere. They took out one of our thrusters…"

"No…"

"We can't get to you."

"We'll come to you-"

"No, the streets are too narrow. You need to take off and get out of here."

"No. I'm not leaving you."

"River-"

"NO!"

"We've got a daughter and two great little nephews. You need to look out for our family. It ain't safe. They're gonna get to you before we do."

"Mal…I can't leave you…" he could hear her crying. He felt tears in his eyes too.

"You have to."

"Baby-"

"No. You're gonna take off and you're gonna take care of our gorram daughter! No arguments!"

"Not now…" he heard River say quietly. He didn't know if that had been directed at him or not.

"But I hear Daddy!" Belle argued in the background. "Mommy…why are you crying?" He clutched the comm. tighter and clenched his jaw to keep from falling apart.

"Hey princess. I need you to do me a favor."

"Hi Daddy. What is it?"

"Be a good girl for Mommy. Daddy isn't gonna be back for awhile."

"What do you mean?"

"Daddy has to stay here with Auntie Zoe. You have to get Mommy to take off."

"Stay? How long?"

"Awhile. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy."

"River, you have to go now. Send my love to everyone."

He turned around to ask Zoe if she had anything to say. She was fighting the Reavers off.

"Zoe?" he asked.

"Nothing, Sir."

"Mal," River sniffed on the other end.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, even though…" he stopped. "There is no even though. I love you, darlin'. Always will."

"I love you more…" River managed through sobs.

"That ain't mathematically possible…" he whispered as a tear drifted down his face.

He saw Serenity take off just as a Reaver spear went through the front of the mule and into the comm.

"What now, Sir?"

"We run. We go to the less populated areas. There will be less Reavers there. We'll figure somethin' else out once we're there…" he said as a few more tears found their way out of his eyes.

Zoe kept fighting. They switched back after awhile. Their ammo was running out. All they had left was a gun and a few clips that went along with it. There were also a few grenades. They made it out of the city and towards one of the smaller towns.

The Reavers gave up for awhile and went after easier food. They sat in silence with the two children they saved from the massacre. Mal tried to push all of the pain and emotions out for the time being. He was numb. He wanted that. The numbness was better. It let him think clearly.

A small Reaver speeder appeared out of nowhere. It let lose on them with their blades. Three or four large spikes lodged themselves in the side of the mule. A huge projectile, a blade of some kind, started hurtling towards them. Mal reached into the front seat, where it was heading, and pulled the closest child into the backseat with him. He reached for the other one.

"ZOE GET IN THE BACK!"

Zoe leapt into the backseat and he reached for the other child. He took his hand and was almost in his arms when it hit him and Mal's arm. It went through the boy's chest. The other boy, the older one, reached for him with tears flowing down his face.

"ISAIAH!" he sobbed. Mal held him back as another projectile flew into the front seat. It hit the engine. They were heading for some cliffs anyway, so either way they were humped.

"ZOE, JUMP!"

"YES SIR!"

Zoe leapt out onto the ground. Mal followed with the sobbing boy in his arms. They hit the ground hard and started to roll. The mule blew up before hitting the cliffs. It completely exploded and debris went everywhere when it did. Mal figured that the grenades had something to do with the double boom.

They hid behind a rock. The Reavers assumed they had died in the crash and went back to the city to find some fresh meat.

"Do you know the way out of town?" Mal asked the trembling boy. He nodded. "Can you take us there?" He nodded again. "Let's go."

They got up and started to follow the young boy. Zoe only had two bullets left and Mal was out. They'd have to rely on luck to get to the town alive. Mal had no idea what to do once they got there. All he knew is that they had to survive. They had to get home. He had to be with his wife. He had to watch his daughter grow up. And gorramit, he was going to.


	4. Chapter 4

They reached the small town after an hour of walking. Luckily the Reavers hadn't hit there yet. There was something odd about the entire situation. Mal would discuss that with Zoe when the time came. Until then, his focus was on saving lives.

"EVERYONE!" he shouted.

Most everyone in the town appeared or looked out of their windows.

"There's Reavers about! If you have a storm shelter, or something of the sort, I suggest you go there now 'fore they get to this town!"

Mass panic spread. People shouted and screamed. They ran around trying to find a place to go. The boy that traveled with Mal and Zoe tapped Mal on the arm.

"I know someone that has a storm shelter. A big one."

"How big?" Mal asked.

"We used it for a school for a bit when I was little. It fit twenty of us."

"Take us there."

The boy led them to a large farm house. He knocked on the door. An old woman answered.

"Mrs. Yen, it's Zachary. Do you remember me?" the boy asked.

"Why yes I do!"

"We need to use your storm shelter, ma'am…" Mal explained.

"What in the 'verse for?"

"Reavers are attacking."

"OH MY! Yes of course! Gather everyone! I have supplies, 'nough to last a good week or so."

"Go with her. Get the supplies and everything set up. We'll gather some folk," Mal said calmly. He nodded at Mrs. Yen in thanks and then he left with Zoe to get some people.

"Any families without a storm shelter gather 'round!" he called.

A few people came over with their children. Zoe led them back to the house while Mal searched for more people in need of shelter. He went door to door and got a few more people to go with him. Some people shut the door in his face, others ran, others didn't even open their doors. He could only help those who wanted it.

They all crowded into the shelter in Mrs. Yen's backyard. She locked it up tight. It locked from the inside.

"Get what boards you can and reinforce that door," Mal told a few of the men in there with him. He looked to see what supplies they had weapon wise. They had two pistols, three rifles, and someone's rusty axe. Hardly enough to fight back let alone wage a war on the Reavers that they had a snow ball's chance in Hell of walking out of.

Mal walked over to Zoe. They huddled in the corner.

"Does this seem a mite odd to you?" he asked quietly.

"Reavers never come in this close."

"Or attack planets this big."

"Maybe they're runnin' out of food," Zoe suggested.

"That ain't a pleasant thought."

"This ain't a pleasant situation."

They sat in silence for awhile.

"So you plan to wait this out?" she asked.

"It's our only choice. It's a big planet. They'll be here awhile. We have enough to last about a week, maybe more if we ration it right."

Zoe agreed with a nod. It was the best course of action. They couldn't beat them, so they'd avoid them. It worked once before, it could work again. They resumed sitting in silence, both grieving for the people they left behind.

"What do we do?" a man asked.

"We wait it out," Mal explained.

"How will we know when it's over?" another asked.

"We'll stay in here as long as we possibly can. Then we can see how things are out there," he said calmly.

"Will they stay away? Will they find us?" a woman asked.

"They aren't ones to sit and try to open somethin' to get food when there's easier meals around. Probably won't even notice where we are."

The people seemed satisfied. They went back to sitting around talking amongst themselves attempting to console their loved ones. The boy, Zachary, wandered over to Mal and Zoe.

"Can I…sit with you?" he asked apprehensively. The boy had just lost his mother and little brother. Mal moved over and patted the space next to him. He sat beside Mal gratefully.

"I'm Zachary," he introduced himself hoping the strangers that saved his life would do the same.

"I'm Malcolm Reynolds, but you can call me Mal."

"And I'm Zoe."

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for savin' me and all…" he said quietly as he tried to force the images of his loved ones being murdered out of his head.

"No problem."

Silence.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"We came here on a ship. Serenity."

"That's a good name," Zachary offered with a smile.

"How old are you?" Mal asked.

"Ten."

Zoe and Mal exchanged glances. He was awfully strong to be just ten years old. They shuddered to think what terrors he must have endured.

"Are you from here?" Mal asked to keep the conversation going.

"Yes. My parents aren't…weren't. My dad died about a year back now. He was killed. Now my mom…and Isaiah…" he shook his head to stop the thought.

"Do you have any other family?" Zoe asked.

"On Athens I have an uncle. He visited once when Isaiah was born."

Mal nodded. Zachary looked up at him. "What about you two?"

"I have a wife and a daughter."

"What are their names?"

"River and Belle. Belle's almost three now."

"What about you?" Zachary asked Zoe.

"None. I guess our crew is my family."

"What's your crew like?"

"We've got a doctor named Simon. He's River's brother. He's married to Kaylee, our mechanic, and they have two little boys. Patrick and Jason. We call Patrick 'Ricky' though," Mal grinned with a sigh.

"And there's Jayne. He's a big guy. Really strong and tough…" Zoe said with a slight smile.

"That sounds real nice. Where are they?"

"They left."

Zachary remembered the conversation Mal had with the woman while in the mule. He didn't remember much, just that Mal was really upset. He cried.

"I'm sorry," Zachary said earnestly.

"No. It's okay. We'll see them again," Mal said confidently.

"You think that we'll make it out alive?" he asked.

"We will. When we do, you can meet them. We might even give you a lift to Athens to see that uncle of yours."

Zachary smiled. "I like you. You're real nice."

"Thank you. I think you're nice too."

Mal patted him on the back hoping that he was right.

********

Serenity broke atmo just as Jayne came bounding into the cockpit. River was piloting with Belle in her lap. She was trying to regain composure for the sake of her daughter and the ship.

"What the hell?" Jayne shouted.

"Mal ordered us to leave," River said calmly.

"So you listened?"

"I did! One of the thrusters of the mule went out. They wouldn't have made it before the Reavers did!" she shot back. Belle was going to ask a few questions, but decided that it was a bad time so she closed her mouth.

"We have to go back!" Jayne bellowed.

"Not yet!"

"Yet? There ain't gonna be a 'yet'!"

"Belle, go find Uncle Simon. Tell him to get Auntie Kaylee and meet us up here. Then stay with Ricky in his room. Okay?"

"Yes Mommy."

She climbed off of her lap and went to find her uncle.

"She doesn't know," River said as tears spilled out of her eyes. "She doesn't know that Mal will probably…" she stopped and looked away. "I'll tell her when the time is right."

Jayne got quiet as he watched River sob a bit more before she steadied herself. Simon and Kaylee arrived with Jason.

"What's happening?" Simon asked.

"We had ta leave…Mal said Zo. Their thruster was busted up…told us to go…" Jayne explained so River wouldn't have to go through it again. She looked at him with an unspoken _"Thank you."_

Kaylee let out a gasp. Simon put his arms around her. Jason started to cry like he understood. Kaylee quieted him down with a few kisses.

"What do we do?" Simon asked.

"This is Zoe and Mal!" Jayne hissed causing Jason to resume crying. "We're gonna get them back…" he finished gently so he wouldn't upset the baby again.

"How?" Kaylee asked with tears now spilling down her face.

They didn't know. They knew that they had to figure something out. There was no way that they were about to let them die…if they weren't dead already…

"Don't tell the children," River finally spoke. Her voice was shaky, but her mind was even shakier. Mal was everything. He was glue that held her together. He was the thing that always pulled her through. Without him, she already felt herself slipping back into psychosis all over again. She decided to go find Belle. She was _their_ daughter. River desperately hoped she could hold her together until they got Mal back. She switched it to autopilot towards the nearest planet.

"Where are you going, mei mei?" Simon asked.

"Belle…" she managed to keep the metaphors from slipping out.

She expected to find her with Ricky in his room, but he was in there alone reading. Belle hadn't even entered, according to him. She went to her room next. She heard Belle's voice.

"I miss him, Miffy."

"Belle?" River called. She emerged from under the bed wrapped in one of Mal's shirts. He had given it to her a few months back to help complete a tent in the cargo bay. She kept it under her bed for times when she missed him, just like she felt in that moment. She liked how it smelled like him. It always brought her comfort.

"I miss Daddy," she said sadly with big tear-filled blue eyes.

"I know. Me too."

She climbed into River's lap. They sat together in silence. Belle looked up at her with a grin that looked exactly like Mal's although she was crying slightly.

"Don't worry, Mommy. Daddy will come home."

River smiled weakly and held her closer thinking, _I hope you're right._

********

Mal sat with Zoe and Zachary in the poorly lit space. Mal had finally convinced Zachary to rest. He leaned against Mal's shoulder and shut his brown eyes. They heard his deep breathing, relieved that the boy could find some peace after the rough day he had just endured with strength that amazed both Zoe and Mal.

"Just like the old war days," Mal commented quietly.

"I can't count how many hours we spent in dark spaces like this one just waiting," Zoe sighed.

"At least it doesn't smell yet."

"That's true, Sir."

They went back to the silence.

"Do you think they got away?" Mal asked fearfully. The picture of Reavers devouring his wife and daughter plagued his mind.

"They got away."

"We did the right thing."

"We did, Sir."

"The selfish part of me is wishin' they were here right now."

"Me too."

"You really had nothin' to say?"

"I did, but I thought that what you had to say was more important."

Mal smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Your welcome."

Their eyes locked for a moment. That was their way of saying _"I love you"_ without actually saying it.

"I'm glad that you're here with me," Mal said seriously.

"I feel the same."

More code language for, _"If we die, I'm glad that it will be with you."_ They nodded at each other, their nonverbal bond at work. That bond would hopefully carry them through and back home to their family.


	5. Chapter 5

"I know the situation ain't exactly shiny, but I can't help thinkin' there's somethin' else botherin' you…" Mal said quietly so he wouldn't rouse Zachary.

"There is," Zoe said plainly.

There was a pause.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked. Zoe smiled to herself. Boy had River changed him. He would never have offered to talk about things before.

"If we don't make it home, there are a few regrets I've got is all."

"Oh?"

"There are some things I would have said or done differently."

Mal nodded in understanding although he was curious about what they were.

"We'll get home," he assured her.

"Sir…we might not."

He didn't want to think about it. He couldn't imagine never seeing River again or Belle. They probably thought that he was dead. He might be if the Reavers got to them. It was a waiting game with life or death hanging tenuously in the balance.

"What would you have said?" he finally asked.

"There's a lot I didn't say…" she trailed off with a sadness in her eyes.

"May I ask who to or is that none of my damn business?" he got her to smile.

"Well, it ain't much like we have anything else to do."

"That's the pure truth."

Zoe sighed and readjusted into a more comfortable position against the cold wall and the hard wooden bench.

"I have a lot to say to Jayne."

Mal's eyebrows raised slightly. "Jayne?"

"Yes."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"Are you and Jayne……" he asked awkwardly.

"Together?"

"Yeah…"

"We're friends," she paused. "But there was this one night-"

"You…and Jayne…" he cleared his throat.

"Yes we," she cleared her throat. "I was upset. It was my anniversary. We went out drinkin' and one thing led to another…"

Mal took in that bit of information. "Do you…" he searched for the right words.

"Love him? No."

"But are you…do you…are you lookin' for a relationship…I mean…"

"I don't rightly know."

He nodded. Zachary stirred and sat up beside them. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.

"Did you get some good rest in?" Mal asked.

"I did."

"That's good."

Zachary studied him carefully. "Would you really give me a lift to my uncle's?"

"I would," Mal nodded.

"I could help out 'round your ship or somethin' to repay you for the trouble and earn my way to Athens."

"No need," Mal assured him.

"But my mom always told me that if someone did somethin' for you, you have to repay the favor."

"That is a nice thing to think on, but you don't owe us anything. Okay?"

"Yes Sir."

Mal laughed. "Don't call me 'Sir.' I got Zoe to do that. Call me Mal."

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm used to usin' my manners."

"That ain't a bad thing."

"Will you tell me more 'bout your ship?" Zachary asked. He had never been off of the planet or even in a ship before.

"Sure will."

Mal started describing the ship and when he first saw it. Zoe chipped in a bit with her opinion every now and again. It was relaxing to all three of them. Mal liked talking to Zachary. Having a kid around filled the gaping hole in his heart where Belle, Ricky, and Jason belonged.

********

"When will Daddy be home?" Belle asked as she sat with River in her room. River felt her heart being torn out all over again. She fought back the tears and tried to sound as stable as possible when inside she was far from it.

"Not for awhile."

"But what about learning the stars?" she asked. River heard her daughter's thoughts. She was getting more and more upset as thoughts raced through her young mind.

"What about my goodnight song? Or kiss?" she started to cry. "I want Daddy to come home!"

"I know. I want him to come home too."

"Will I ever see him again?" Belle asked fearfully. River held her tighter and gently stroked her silky hair.

"You will. I promise. Mommy is going to bring him home."

"You will?" Belle asked hopefully.

"I will. I'll get Auntie Zoe too."

Belle smiled weakly. River kissed her on the top of the head. "Get some rest."

She nodded and climbed onto her bed with Mal's shirt. River covered her up and went up to the kitchen. She wasn't sure how just yet, but they were going to get them. She knew that they weren't dead. She reached out and felt his presence. She couldn't feel Zoe, but they were far away. It was a miracle she could still feel Mal. _That's the power of true love_, she figured.

She called everyone into the kitchen.

"We're going back," she stated.

"Is that safe?" Simon asked wearily as he balanced Jason on his knee.

"It don't matter! We ain't go much of a choice! We's goin' back!" Jayne snapped.

Everyone was a little surprised at his strong feelings on the matter.

"I don't know if y'all recall when Crazy got snatched by the feds, but I do. Do you remember how he fought like hell to get her back? I say we do that again. We've beat Reavers before. We stormed two federal buildings and walked out alive and successful. We kicked that prince's ass when he was after 'Nara. We beat that hundan Strong-arm. We pitted two gangs against each other. We rescued you two while trickin' that entire planet into thinkin' Mal was dead 'n crowin' that other guy king. We can do this!"

Simon and Kaylee exchanged glances. It was all true, but these were _Reavers_ and they had three kids to worry on.

"Do we have a plan?" Simon asked.

"We'll think up somethin'," Jayne hissed.

"We've heard plenty from you, Jayne. Mei mei, what do you think?"

"There's nothing in this 'verse that will stop me from bringing him home," she said forcefully.

"Then we go back," Simon sighed. Kaylee put her hand on his shoulder.

"We go back," she agreed.

"Do we have a plan?" Simon repeated.

River started to pace. She thought for a moment. "We can't put the children in danger. They stay here along with you…" she began.

"With who?" Kaylee asked.

"You and Simon. You know how to fly the ship and keep it flying. Simon needs to stay for the kids. Jayne," River turned to him.

"There ain't nothin' that's gonna keep me from goin' with you."

"We're in on this together?"

"Hell yes."

"We'll take the shuttle in. You'll keep Serenity close by. As far as our shuttle will be able to go. If you see Reavers, run. We'll have enough to get to a moon and stay low until you can come back."

"What will you do once you get there?" Simon asked.

"We'll find them and we'll run."

"What about the Reavers in the way?" he continued.

"We kill them."

"If there are too many?"

"There won't be."

"How do you know?"

"Because no amount of Reavers is going to keep me from getting to them. I made a promise. I'm bringing them home."

"If you die-"

"If I die, you will take care of our family."

"You're willing to leave Belle without both of her parents?"

"She needs Mal. _I need him_. I don't care what you say. I'm taking the gorram shuttle and I'm going to go get my husband!"

Kaylee patted Simon on the shoulder to let him know that it was time for him to shut up.

"Go get our family 'n bring them home," Kaylee said calmly.

"Jayne, start packing as much ammunition and weapons as we can possibly carry. Guns, grenades, explosives, knives, flamethrowers-"

"How'd you know 'bout my new flamethrower?" he asked. He held up his hand. "Never mind."

"We're taking shuttle one. Fill it with as much as you can. If we encounter Reavers, we have to be prepared. I doubt they'll have any weapons."

Jayne nodded and started the process of transferring his weapons from his bunk to the shuttle while River raided the storage lockers for weapons. After she cleaned them out, she went to say goodbye.

Belle was with Ricky in his room playing with the few toys they had.

"Hi Auntie River. Want to play?" Ricky asked.

"I can't. I have to leave."

Belle's face fell. "You're leaving too?"

"I'm going to go get Daddy and Zoe."

"You'll bring them home?" Ricky asked. He missed Mal terribly as well.

"Yes. I might be gone for a long time, but I'm pretty sure that won't happen."

Belle got up and hugged her tightly. Ricky followed the example of his younger cousin and hugged her as well.

"I miss you already," Belle said softly.

"I feel the same. Don't give your uncle a hard time."

"But Mommy, it's fun!"

River laughed. "I mean it! Now go back to playing. We'll be home soon."

Belle let go and sadly walked back over to the toys on the floor. Ricky hugged a bit tighter.

"I'll miss you too, Auntie River."

"I'll miss you too. I love you both very much."

"I love you Mommy."

"I love you too," Ricky smiled. River managed to return a smile before leaving.

"How are we doing?" River asked Jayne as she approached the shuttle. It was lined with guns, a few knifes, boxes and boxes of ammo, a few bombs, and a large basket of grenades. Jayne's new flamethrower was out of lighter fluid so he didn't pack it.

"We're good to go."

Simon and Kaylee appeared on the catwalk with little Jason. River kissed Jason on the cheek and hugged Kaylee.

"Be careful," Kaylee warned.

"I will."

Simon and River looked at each other. It was killing him to let her land on a Reaver-infested planet. After everything he had done to get her back, he couldn't bare the thought of losing her. She heard his inner turmoil and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I have to do this, Simon. I have to."

"I know. Come back alive."

"I will."

Simon and Kaylee looked over at Jayne. He was looming in the doorway of the shuttle. Kaylee handed Jason to Simon and went over to him. She hugged him. He was caught off guard, but hugged back.

"You better look after my sister," Simon said half jokingly and half not.

"Or ya know over one-hundred ways ta kill me with a hairpin," Jayne recalled with a slight smirk. They exchanged nods before River and Jayne climbed into the shuttle.

River sat down at the helm and got ready to take off. She had to wait for the say-so from Kaylee. Jayne sat beside her. She looked over at him, quickly skimming over his mind inadvertently.

"We'll get her back, Jayne."

"I shoulda gone. Maybe I coulda stopped them Reavers from blowin' the thruster and-"

"Then I'd have to rescue all three of you."

"I drank too much. If I didn't I coulda gone…"

"It isn't your fault. I doubt it would have made a difference. The Reavers wouldn't have given up no matter what."

He looked away with a sigh.

"We'll get her back. I know we will."

"I hope yer right, Crazy. If we don't…I…"

"Don't go there. I need you here."

He nodded quietly. She saw it in his eyes.

"You love her."

"Yeah."

"You're _in_ love with her."

"I am."

"Does she know?"

He shook his head.

"Okay River. You're good to go," Kaylee's voice came through the comm.

"Okay. I love you Kaylee. You too Simon."

They embarked from the ship. Jayne cleared his throat and scratched his head. He wasn't used to being nice but hell, Crazy deserved it after being so nice to him.

"We'll get Mal back too. Between the two of us, we can take 'em all down 'n then some."

"Thank you."  
"Uh…yeah…same to you…"

"Anytime."

They flew in silence, both lost in their thoughts and anguish. Jayne had fallen in love with Zoe some time ago. Love was a new thing. He wasn't used to the want, the need, or the pure selflessness that came with it. He craved her presence. He'd find any excuse to see her, especially after the night they shared. The fear of losing her outweighed his life long fear of Reavers. He was willing to risk his life, _lose_ his life, for her. Suddenly, for the first time ever, someone mattered to him more than himself.

River hoped and actually prayed that they were still alive. Between her love for Mal and Jayne's love for Zoe, nothing could stand in their way and nothing would. She wouldn't let that happen. Jayne needed Zoe, Belle needed her father, and she needed her husband more than she had ever needed anything and ever would.


	6. Chapter 6

Things inside the storm shelter were incredibly somber. No one dared to speak louder than a whisper for fear of alerting anyone or anything that roamed the surface. Most people tried to get some sleep. There were about fifteen people not including Mal, Zoe, and Zachary crammed into the tiny space. It was dark and cold. It was early morning, or late at night depending on how you look at it.

The Reavers had arrived earlier that day. Based on the population of everyone on the planet, they'd still be somewhere enjoying the thousands of free meals hopefully in the bigger cities and towns. All they could do was wait, hope, and pray…although Mal wasn't one for praying.

Zoe was wide awake and so was Mal. It was probably the military training. They could stay awake for days at a time without losing their edge. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

Mal was missing the children back home. Zachary had fallen asleep across his lap. He had brown hair that reminded him of Belle's for some reason. He wasn't sure if having a child with him was helping or hurting.

Zoe was thinking about the mercenary she had gotten to know so well. She kept trying to figure out what she would have said to him, or what she might get to say. She wasn't as sure about surviving as Mal was. They were hiding from some relentless and blood-thirsty ruttin' hundans. If they caught their sent, they'd be dinner before they could even load the piece of go se guns they had.

"You can get some shuteye. I'll keep watch," Mal offered.

"I couldn't sleep even if I tried, Sir."

"Me neither."

********

"Where are they at?" Jayne asked as the shuttle broke through the atmosphere.

River focused all of her energy on reaching out to Mal's mind. He was with Zoe. Zachary? She didn't know who that was. He reminded Mal of Belle though. Silence. The room was silent and crowded…dark…underground…that could be anywhere. She tried Zoe's thoughts. Dread. She felt dread for when the Reavers found them. Small town outside of the city.

"They're in a small town underground. Either a basement or a storm shelter."

"Well this planet ain't exactly tiny and there could be plenty of small towns," Jayne snapped.

"How far could they have gotten from the city though? To the west is the waterfront, to the north are the cliffs. We were docked towards the northern end, so they wouldn't have gone south. That leaves the east. They would have stopped at the first town. They'll be there."

Jayne was glad that she was there. He didn't have a third of the brains she had. Even if he did, he still wouldn't have figured that out.

They flew over the city and got a first hand look at the devastation.

Bodies lined the streets. Some of them were picked clean while others missed body parts. A building was aflame, probably from a speeder crashing into it during the attempted escape. Windows were shattered and the glass was sprayed across the ground along with puddles and puddles of blood. River saw a few of the terrifying interactions sent to her from an unknown source. It might have been a survivor clinging to life by a slender thread. She wasn't sure, but she hoped that it was just her psychic nature and not some poor dying man or woman's final thoughts.

They headed towards the east, past the cliffs. Jayne saw a pile of rubble that reminded him of the mule. He pointed.

"That ain't the mule is it?"

She looked. "It isn't…but it was."

They saw a body on the ground. Jayne's first thought was _Oh God, Zoe's dead_. River knew better.

"No, Zoe's fine. Mal is too."

"Then who's that?"

She looked again and the word slipped off of her tongue. "Isaiah."

"Who?"

"I don't know. I just know that his name was Isaiah…"

Jayne cast a final look at the debris as they passed it.

"Can ya tell if they're hurt?" Jayne asked. That crash seemed pretty bad. It would be a miracle if they walked out unscathed.

"I can't."

About twenty minutes passed and they saw the first signs of a small town. She felt Mal and Zoe's presence grow stronger. She just knew that they were there.

"This is it."

She set the shuttle down in a field. After stepping out into the night air, she got a vibe. Just as the sun was about to rise (sunset and sunrise were only an hour or so apart on Fu-Xing), she knew for sure.

"They're coming. They saw the shuttle. We don't have a lot of time. Set up a line of defense with the explosives. They're coming the way that we did, from the west. They won't bother with their ship. They'll come in by speeders or on foot. The close up kill."

Jayne shuddered. The gorram girl knew too much and she was always sharing it in a creepy way with that melodic tone of hers. It made his blood run cold. He got to work with the explosives while she loaded all of the guns. She found an axe that had been tossed down hastily in the owner's escape. She hated guns. Blades were much better…

Jayne finished placing the last charge. He got the detonator ready.

"Don't blow it until I tell you," she said evenly. She was too calm…

"Okay."

How had she taken charge? He couldn't help but wonder. She had a sort of leadership quality, which made no sort of sense. She was a petite little thing with a sweet little voice and yet she commanded unquestionable respect. Maybe it was because she was Mal's wife. He didn't know, but didn't have time to think on it.

"They're almost here," she announced.

He got as many guns as he could physically carry. Just seconds later, the howling of their speeders filled the morning air. Seconds after that, they came into view looking as ugly and as hungry as ever…

********

_-Boom-_

Mal and Zoe jumped along with everyone in the storm shelter.

"What was that?" everyone asked in one way or another.

"Stay put," Mal ordered. Zoe followed him to the door and Zachary followed them regardless of Mal's order.

They opened the doors with the two pistols ready. Mal and Zoe were dumbstruck at the sight before them.

The sounds of gunfire and cries of pain rang out through the tiny town. There were more than a few Reavers around, but there were two people fighting them with great force. In the background was a large and dark silhouette of a man with two large guns that had to be Jayne. In the middle of it all was River. She was a machine, slicing through them with an axe in one hand and blowing their brains out with the gun in the other.

"Who is she?" Zachary asked in amazement.

"That is my wife…" Mal explained. "Zoe, grab the other guns. We have a fight to win."

"Yes Sir."

"Zachary, stay here. That goes for everyone. Lock this up tight and hide until we get you. If we don't…just stay until you run out of supplies."

Zoe returned with the three rifles. They left the shelter with guns blazing.

Mal shot one of the Reavers getting a little to close to River for comfort. He kept shooting at the ones going for her. He knew that she could handle herself, but it was his role to protect her.

Zoe went for the closest Reavers to the shelter. They had a group of people, most of them children, to protect. She took a few down without a problem. Once the pistol ran out of bullets, she switched to the rifle. It didn't have enough pop to take them down with a single shot. She started to run out of ammo.

Mal was having the same problem. The second the pistol ran out, he switched to the rifle. He saw that Zoe was running low.

"ZO!"

He tossed the rifle to her. She caught it flawlessly and hit one really really ugly son of a whore with the stock before shooting it in the head.

Mal ran out. He had no more ammo in his guns. He used them to bludgeon the ruttin' beasts, but they were so much bigger that it didn't do much good.

River saw them come running over and start to fight. She didn't think about them until she heard their panicked thoughts about having no ammo left. She cut one in half and then turned to them.

"In the shuttle!"

Mal understood and ran over to Zoe. He grabbed her arm and they ran to the shuttle where they were delighted to find their entire arsenal right there. They stocked up and went back out to the fight.

A few grenades and cartridges later, the Reavers were stilling coming. It was like they wouldn't end. It was a perpetual stream of ruthless monsters that would do anything to pick their bones clean.

Mal was focusing on River. His bullets were mostly directed at the hundans clawing at his wife. She was incredible. He knew that she was, but he rarely got to watch her in action. There were a few occasions in the past where she went all assassin on whoever was trying to kill them. But with Reavers…the things that burned her brain…it was different. It was more than destruction. It was thirst for revenge, for their blood. She knew what they were. It was out of pity as much as it was out of hatred. They were human once. The Alliance did this. Mal and River both were very aware of that.

While this inner monologue was going through Mal's head and he was busy defending his sweetheart, a Reaver was coming up from behind him.

Zachary watched from a crack in the wooden doors of the storm shelter. _Mal's wife is somethin' else_, he thought. That's when he noticed the Reaver going for Mal. On an impulse, the brave boy grabbed the only remaining weapon, the axe, and charged from the shelter.

He ran over to Mal as fast as he could.

"MAL!"

Mal turned towards the source of the noise. It was Zachary and he was flying at him with an axe. He pushed Mal as hard as he could. For a ten year old he had some strength, although it could very well have been the momentum. Mal stumbled back just as his axe connected with the Reaver's neck. Blood went everywhere and the Reaver-made spike had gone through his gut.

Zachary stumbled back clutching the spike. He pulled it out and fell to the ground after pressing his hand to his gushing wound. Mal ran to his side, shooting a few more of their foes on the way, and kneeled beside him.

"I…got it…" Zachary said faintly. Mal added more pressure to the wound.

"You did. You saved my life in the process too."

He smiled up at him. Mal shot a few approaching Reavers before returning his attention to the bleeding child.

"I had to…repay the favor…"

Mal looked down at how much blood he had lost. It was a lot. Too much.

"Well you did and then some. Now you gotta hang on so you can get to my ship and we can get you to your uncle."

"Serenity…"

"Yeah, Serenity."

"I…can't feel…much…"

"Hang in there."

Mal shot a few more Reavers.

"I…don't think…so…I have to…go be…with my family…and…you have to be…with yours."

Mal clutched his hand. How the boy was so strong, he didn't know. He felt his heart being torn out. This ten year old was going to die.

"Thank you…" Zachary coughed.

"No…thank you…" Mal choked. Zachary shut his eyes and Mal no longer felt a pulse in his fragile little hand. He got up feeling enraged.

One by one the Reavers fell. Between River's skill, Mal's rage, and Jayne and Zoe's determination, they were able to wipe out the remaining foes. After the last one fell by an unmerciful slash of River's axe, it was over.

Mal and River ran to each other wasting no time. He pulled her into his arms the second that she was close enough. Their lips met with fiery passion and all of the love in the 'verse intertwined with it. They finally pulled apart to witness Jayne and Zoe's greeting.

Jayne threw his gun down and walked over to the stationary Zoe slowly. A little too dramatically, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in a lip to lip kiss while dipping her just slightly.

"I thought he didn't kiss on the mouth," Mal whispered.

"He does…when he's in love."

Mal's jaw dropped in surprise. River shut it lightly with her finger before kissing him again.


	7. Chapter 7

"Is this over?" Mal asked River.

"It's over. The others have left."

Mal breathed a sigh of relief and then wandered over to the storm shelter. He opened the doors.

"You can come on out. It's over now."

They all rejoiced and embraced one another, glad to have survived the reign of terror they brought down on their planet.

Mal walked over to Zachary's body with a pang of sadness. He lifted the small body into his arms and started to walk away. River would have asked where he was going, but she knew. He was going to put him with his brother. She followed him while Jayne and Zoe stayed back.

********

River and Jayne had been gone for quite some time. Kaylee sat on the bridge at the helm. She wasn't the best pilot, but River had taught her a few things over the years. She knew enough to get them from place to place.

Simon arrived on the bridge. She knew he was there before he spoke. She smelled his cologne and grinned.

"Well come on in," she beamed.

He appeared beside the consol looking paler than usual. "I got Jason down for his nap. Belle and Ricky are in her room playing with…trolls…"

"Yeah. Miffy, I know. She told me 'bout them the other day."

"Miffy?" Simon asked.

"He's named after Mal. Mal and the word spiffy make _Miffy_."

"Spiffy?"

"I taught that word my-own-self. Ain't that shiny?"

Simon managed a small smile.

"Don't you worry. River 'n Jayne are the two best fighters there is. Mal 'n Zoe are the toughest people I know. The four of 'em will come back safe 'n sound. Easy peasy."

"I hope you're right, bao bei…" Simon sighed.

"Ah, you know I am."

"What if-"

"No. No what if's. You're always worryin' 'n thinkin' too much. Jus' stay in the moment. Like right now. You're here with your wife…" she smiled.

"Alone…" he continued with a smile.

"See? Silver linin'. Now get them lips over here Dr. Tam!"

Their kiss was interrupted by a proximity alert. Kaylee looked at the screen. It was a Reaver ship.

"Honey, remember how's I taught you how to go to hard burn?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Go to hard burn. Now."

He darted down the corridor while she got ready to fly. There was a nearby moon. If they could get there in time, the Reavers might miss them all together.

"Are you ready?" Kaylee asked over the comm.

"Yes!" Simon called.

She flew towards the moon and the Reavers followed.

"Silver linin'…silver linin'…I learned how to fly a ship…Simon learned how to go to hard burn…" she muttered as she attempted to keep her calm.

They broke through the atmo. Luckily, the moon was filled with ridges and craters. Serenity was about half the size of the Reaver ship. She guided her down into one of the many crevices and the ship struck the rocks above with full force. The ship crashed behind them in a blaze of fire.

"THAT'S MY GIRL!" Kaylee cried happily as she patted Serenity with a smile.

********

Mal and River returned to the town after putting both of the boys to rest. Mal was never one for funerals, but somehow it just seemed right. They deserved a bit of peace anyhow.

"Let's go," Mal called to Zoe and Jayne. They were busy collecting their weapons from various places around the town.

They all piled into the shuttle after receiving thanks from the town folk. Mal sat up front with River while poor Zoe and Jayne had to crowd in the back with the weapons and ammo.

"Do you want to wave them, or do you want me to?" Mal asked.

"I have to fly," River responded.

Mal got up and made his way over to the screen. He almost twisted his ankle from the treacherous journey over the guns and crates. He was _so_ glad to be back in business with his trigger-happy mercenary.

Kaylee appeared on the screen. She let out a happy squeal.

"SIMON! SIMON! GET IN HERE!" she shouted. Simon came into the frame.

"Captain," he said cordially.

"How are the kids?" Mal asked.

"They're good. How are you?" Simon asked.

"We're _all_ good," he made sure to stress the _all_ part so he'd know that the four of them were still alive and kicking.

"Any injuries?" he asked.

"Nothing serious."

"It's great to see you, Cap'in!" Kaylee beamed.

"It's great to see you too, mei mei."

"We had a little run in with Reavers, we's okay, but we had to set down on a moon right 'round here. I'll send you the location…" Kaylee smiled.

"Okay. We'll see you soon. And Kaylee,"

"Yes?"

"Tell Belle I'm comin' home."

"I will."

"And I love her."

"I'll do that too."

"And I missed her."

"Okay, Cap'in. By the time you're done tellin' me what to say you'll be here!"

Mal laughed. "Conjure that's about the truth."

They received the information and arrived at Serenity just an hour later. Belle was waiting with Ricky on the catwalk when the doors opened. Mal was barely out the door before they hugged him.

"Easy there!" he laughed.

"I missed you lots," Belle said into his pant leg. He picked her up and kissed her on the cheek.

"I missed you more. And," he picked Ricky up with his other arm. "I missed you too, little man."

Ricky hugged Mal's neck while Belle kissed him on the cheek a bunch of times. Jayne and Zoe exited behind him followed by River.

"Mommy!"

Belle reached for her. She picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"I told you I'd be back soon."

"Where were you, Daddy?" Belle asked.

"I was lookin' after some nice folk. Protectin' them from monsters."

"Did you get rid of the monsters?" Ricky asked.

"I did."

"Did you fight them?" Ricky pressed.

"I sure did."

"Will you tell me more about it?" he asked.

"Tomorrow."

He set Ricky down. Ricky walked over to Kaylee and she took his hand.

"Nice flyin' little Kaylee," Mal said proudly.

"It was nothin'. Simon went to hard burn for me."

"Daddy worked with the engine?" Ricky inquired.

"He sure did."

"Tell me about it!"

Simon took his hand and they walked out discussing the engine.

"Did you get any sleep?" River asked Belle. She shook her head.

"I didn't get my goodnight song."

Mal took her from River. "I think I can fix that, princess. Let's go tuck you in."

"What about the stars?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Mal tucked her in and sang her goodnight song. He found his shirt on the floor.

"What's this doin' here?" he asked.

"You were gone and I missed you."

He sighed and looked at her. "I'm sorry about bein' gone. If I could of come home I would of."

"I still missed you."

"What can I do to make up for it?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Get me a puppy."

He laughed. "No. Anything else I can do?"

"Can I have another goodnight song?"

"I think I can handle that."

"And another story?"

"Okay."

"And longer looking at the stars?"

"You're pushin' it."

She giggled. "Had to try."

He sang to her again and opened up one of her favorite stories. "Get some sleep, princess. I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy."

He kissed her on the forehead and then started towards his bunk.

********

Zoe and Jayne sat together at the table. They both had a mug of whiskey. It had been a rough go of it. The kiss complicated things. Before they simply didn't talk about or acknowledge what had happened on that night a little over three months ago. He didn't push it and she didn't start it. They both weren't ones to express their feelings. That's part of the reason they became such good friends. They didn't have to. They were just…there. They made each other's pain disappear.

"Look, I-" Jayne began. Kaylee came through the kitchen with a wave.

"Hi! I'm glad you're both okay! I'm gonna go check on Jason."

She went down into her a bunk. They waited a few minutes to make sure no one else would be passing through.

"I just-" Jayne was cut off again as River passed through to her bunk.

He waited a bit more before trying again.

"What I'm tryin' to say is-"

Simon and Ricky came through to go to their bunk. A few minutes passed and the entire Tam family went back through to go to the passenger dorms to play.

"Gorramit! Listen, Zo, I want to say-"

Mal passed through.

"Don't mind me," he said as he went down into his bunk.

"Can we please talk someplace private?" Jayne finally asked.

"Like?" Zoe asked.

"My bunk, not like that, jus' talkin' is all. I got some stuff I wanna say and this ain't the place if everyone keeps interruptin'!"

Zoe agreed and they went to Jayne's bunk. She sat down on his bed uncomfortably. He remained standing.

"I ain't good with words. So I'm gonna try my best. I know I ain't Wash and I ain't ever gonna be, but I…I love you. I do. I didn't think I could love or ever was gonna, but I do…and I…could. I don't wanna replace him. I know you'll never love me as much as you loved him, but gorramit I just want to make you…not hurt. I wanna make you whole again. If'n…you wanna give this a shot…"

She was breathless by his speech. It was a bit clumsy and awkward, but beautiful at the same time. It was true that she still loved Wash, but she couldn't be alone forever. He did take away the pain. When she was with him, he somehow filled the void. She realized that she hadn't spoken in almost a minute.

"I mean…if ya don't…" he cleared his throat waiting for some sort of signal or something from her.

She got up and kissed him again. He was a surprisingly good kisser. She pushed him towards the bed.

"Can I take this as a 'yes'?" he asked hopefully.

"You can take this as a yes."

He grinned and they kissed again, both of them feeling whole for the first time in awhile.

********

Mal climbed down into his bunk to find River washing off a few minor cuts she got during the fight.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he got closer to her.

"Fine," she said quietly. He knew that tone. It was her, _"I'm pissed" _tone.

"You're not fine. I hear it in your voice."

She turned around with an angry look in her big brown eyes, the ones that still could leave him breathless after all this time.

"Don't you _ever_ do that _ever_ again, dong ma?" she snapped.

"Darlin'-"

"Do you have _any_ idea how much this affected out daughter? What would have happened if you didn't come home?"

"Sweetheart, I-"

"Do you know what this did to Jayne and Zoe? How this made _them_ suffer?"

"Listen-"

"And what about me? Do you have _any gorram idea_ about what this did to _me_?"

He didn't even try to defend himself. He grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss that she met with her own forcefully. She threaded her fingers in his hair and kissed back harder. He held onto her as tightly as he could. They finally broke apart.

"Now you listen to me, River Reynolds! Did you ever think about what this did to me? Do you know what it's like to tell the woman you love more than anything to take off and leave knowing that you're likely to die when you're two year old daughter is on that ship? Do you know what it's like to think that you'll never see them again or get to watch your daughter grow up? Gorramit, don't answer. I LOVE YOU AND I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT RIGHT NOW! DONG MA?"

"I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO ME, MALCOLM REYNOLDS! I LOVE YOU AND I WANT YOU TO RIP MY GORRAM CLOTHES OFF RIGHT NOW!"

"WELL GORRAMIT I WILL!"

"OKAY!"

"Okay…"

They kissed again and stumbled over to the bed. They didn't want to be separated for a moment. The fact that they very well could have lost each other burned painfully in their minds.

Their boots were off along with all of their other clothes in a matter of minutes. He kissed every inch of her that he could get his mouth on and she explored his chest at an achingly slow pace. It was torturous as she continued the sultry exploration before meeting his hungry lips with hers.

They lay tangled and breathless after each wearing a contented smile on their faces. She settled against his chest as her fingers mindlessly traced his scars. He brushed some of her hair back and kissed her forehead.

"I am so in love with you," he grinned. She smiled at him, letting the pain and terror of the day be erased by him.

"I am so in love with you," she returned happily.

He wrapped his arms around her and brought her as close as she could possibly be to his body. He was so overjoyed to be home, however there were still a few things haunting him from his experience, one of them being a young boy named Zachary.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Not really."

River nodded against his neck.

"Darlin', I got an idea for a name for our next kid…"

"Really?" she asked with a smirk.

"I do. What do you think about 'Zachary Reynolds'?"

"I like it, _if_ we have a boy."

"I think we will."

"What do you say about practicing creating this little boy of ours?" she asked with a sly grin.

"I like the way you think."

********

They emerged from their bunk surprisingly refreshed around the same time that Zoe and Jayne emerged from his bunk also looking refreshed. Mal and River noticed that they were holding hands. Mal looked at River. She confirmed the fact that they were together with a nod. Mal smiled. It was about ruttin' time for Zoe to have someone…

Everyone gathered around for a meal. Ricky sat in between his parents, Jason was in his highchair, Zoe and Jayne were sitting next to each other looking awfully content, Belle was on Mal's lap, and River was next to them smiling widely.

"I'm glad you're home," Belle told Mal with a grin.

"I can't believe it took so long," he sighed. It felt like forever since he had been home.

"It was worth the wait," River smiled recalling the first time they admitted their feelings for each other.

Mal grinned recalling the same memory. "Yes it was."

**The end**

_And so ends my continuing series. I had to end it with Reavers. I had to! There were a lot of references to my previous stories, my first one in particular. I hope you liked these as much as I liked writing them. I'd like to thank you for sticking with them and thank those of you who were kind enough to comment or favorite my stories. I love you all! Thank you very much!_


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